Peters



(No Model.)

P. B. DELANY.

TBLEGRAPHY.

No. 389,062. Patented Sept. 4,1888.

UNITED STATES Pnrnnr @einen PATRICK BERNARD DELANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TELEGRAPHY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389.062l dated September 4, 1888.

Application filed May 16, 188B. Serial No. 275,153. (No model.)

To cI/ZZ wwnt it rmt-y concern:

Be it known that l, PATRICK BERNARD DE- LANY, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York city, State of N ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraph y, of which the following is aspecihcation.

My invention relates to the operation oftele graplrlines having a number of way-stations. Upon such lines, owing to defective insulation or atmospheric conditions, theA leakage of current is often so great that the relays at the way-stations fail to respond to the makes and breaks of the circuit and require frequent adjustment, and under such conditions inexperienced operators whose relays do not respond will break in upon the line, thus in terrupting business and causing vexatious delay.

One objectof my invention is to remedy this evil.

My invention further relates to the operation of a telegraphic system over long lines, or lines where the retardation or static capacity isr large, and more especially it relates to the working of underground cables. In transmitting overa circuit such as suggested the speed is restricted and the clearness of the signals much impaired by the statical condition of the line. In order to free the line from such static disturbances or extra currents, I ground it automatically at one or more points or way-stations each time that the battery is taken from the line. I am thus enabled to operate long lines of underground cable connected through any desired number of waystations with a speed, accuracy, and clearness of transmission and reception equal to that attainable on the best aerial lines. For this reason the system is especially desirable for railroad telegraph-lines where there are large numbers of way-stations.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a diagram View illustrating the invention. Fig. 2 illustrates in detail another way of effeet-ing the grounding of the line at the waystations, and Fig. 3 another way of grounding the line at the terminal stations.

X and Z represent the terminal stat-ions of a line, and Y a way or intermediate station, of which there may be any desired number. The

system is shown as operated upon closed circuit and the main battery MB is divided, part being placed at each terminal. At each station there is a transmitting-key, K, shunted through a switch, A. When the line is not in use, the armatures on all the relays R are drawn against their front stops, thus closing the local circuits s of the respective Sounders S, whose armatures are attracted, as shown. A transmittingoperator opens his switch, and upon each break of the circuits by his key the sounder armatures at all the stations are thrown up by their springs. The pawl l? on the end of each s0under-armature lever engages the teeth of a ratchet-wheel, Q, on the rotating spindle of which a radiallyprojecting arm carrying a trailer or contact-maker, T, is mounted, and upon each actuation of the sounder-armature the ratchet-wheel and trailer are moved forward one tooth or step. Each trailer traverses a circle, C, of contacts or segments. The segments at the way and terminal stations are differently arranged. At each terminal station X Z thirty teeth or segments in the circle are shown. The alternate segments c are connected with the line Z, leading directly to the terminal battery MB. rIhe other segments, d, are connected to earth, as shown, and the trailer T is connected to the line L, running to the waystations. The trailer is normally upon a battery contact or segment, c. The normally-closed main-line circuit is therefore through the contacts c, terminal station, trailers, and line. At the way-stations Y but fifteen contacts or segments, c, are shown in the circle, and these are all connected to earth. The trailer, which is connected by a branch, Z', with the main line, normally rests upon an insulated or blank space between the contacts. Each time that the circuit is opened the sounder-armatures at all the stations are released, and as they are thrown up by their springs the trailers are each moved one step. At each terminal station the trailer passes from a battery-connected contact, c, and disconnects the line from the battery, crosses a ground-contact, d, thus discharging the line to earth, and finally pauses upon the next battery-contact c. The battery is now again connected to the line and the circuit closed except at the open key of the trans- IOO mitting-operator. Simultaneously with the operation just described the trailer at each way-station is caused to pass from an insulated or'blank space across a groun'd-contact, thus grounding the line through the branch Z and pauses upon the next space. When the key is depressed, the main-line circuit being again closed, all the sounder-armatures are again attracted, but there is no movement of the trailers until they are again released. By such an organization the line is grounded at the terminal stations and at any desired number of intermediate points or way-stations at the moment when the battery is disconnected from the line, and this when operating ordinary Morsetelegraphy. Thelineisthereforecleared or discharged of static and other disturbing currents each time that the battery is taken from the line. In working an underground line or cable between New York and Philadelphia, in connection, for instance, with the operation of a railroad, a large number of way-stations would be necessary. The line could be discharged at each station and could u be worked with equal if not greater perfection than a first-class overhead wire. In working upon a long line where way-stations are not needed the lines could of course be discharged at any desired number of points in the manner indicated.

Io further increase the efficiency of the line, the relays may be shunted by adjustable resistances r, as at station X, or by a condenser, Cd, as at station Y; or a condenser shunted by an adjustable resistance could be employed, as shown at station Z. Such devices serve to prevent the kick that is liable to occur by reason of the c-"Xtra current induced in the relay-coil.

I prefer to employ a trailer rotated step by step over a circle of segments or contacts, as shown in Fig. l; but obviously the invention is not limited to such a specific organization for grounding the line. Other means may be adopted. For instance, at the terminal stations the line L may be connected with the sounder-armature lever, as shown in Fig. 2, and the lever have a spring contact-maker, B, which bears against and sweeps three contacts, c d c. The upper contact c, against which the contact-maker B bears when the armature-lever is drawn down by its magnet, is connected with the battery MB, and so is the lower contact c. The intermediate contact, d, is connected to earth. A pivoted contact-plate, D, also connected with the line L, is normally pressed against the contacts c by a slight spring, E, but is held out of electrical contact with the earth-contact d by a layer of insulating material set into the face of the plate, as shown. With the parts in the normal position shown in Fig. 2, the battery is connected with the line L through the contactplate D and through the springB on the armature-lever. When the armature is thrown by its retractile spring upon the opening of the circuit, as described, its spring-arm B passes down between the contacts and the pivoted plate, forces the plate back out of contact with the contacts c c, comes upon the contact d, thus momentarily grounding the line, and finally pauses upon the lower contact c, after having passed below the plate B, so that it can return to its normal position in contact with c c. The battery is therefore restored to the line. When the sounder-armature lever is again attracted, the spring contact-maker B is deflected by the plate D, passes outside of it, and at the end of its movementagain by its own resilience or bias returns to its normal position against the upper contact c, as shown.

For grounding at the way-stations such an arrangement as that shown in Fig. 3 may be adopted. The grounding branch Z is run direct to the sounder-armature lever,which car? ries a spring contact-arm, B, bearing upon and sweeping a plate, G, having two insulated spaces and an intermediate ground-contact, e. When the armature-lever is in its normal position, the spring arm B bears, as shown,

against the upper insulated space, and when Y the armature-lever is thrown by its retractile spring the arm B crosses the contact e, thus grounding the line,and pauses upon thelower insulated space. IVhen the armature-lever is again attracted, the spring-arm B is deflected by an-insnlated spring switch or pawl, '0, the lower edge of which bears upon the lower in sulated space and travels outside the pawl, returning finally by its resilience or bias to its normal position against the upper insulated space.

The organization shown in Fig. l is preferred. Figs. 2 and 3 only serve to indicate that the specific details of the apparatus may very readily be varied.

In operating an aerial line with a number of way-stations the grounding may take place at the terminals only. As there will then be a moment after each opening of any transmitting-key in the line during which the line is put to earth at both ends, all the relays will respond, and every operator,knowing that the line is in use, can adjust his relay to respond to the currents passing over the line, and improper breakingin upon and monopolizations of the circuit need not occur. When operating cables or lines of large statical capacity, they are grounded also at the way-stations or intermediate points.

I am aware that in some classes of multiplex telegraphy the line has been grounded after each transmission of an electrical impulse, but only at terminal stations,and not in such an organization or system asthat herein shown and claimed.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of a continuous line, relays in said line, a battery, Morse keys in the line-circuit, by which the circuit is made and broken for the transmission of impulses of continuous current corresponding to dots and dashes or the signals to be transmitted, .a ground-connection, and line-groundin g devices IIO IZO

actuated by a magnet in the local of the relay at each end of the line, said grounding devices consisting of earth and line contacts which are momentariiy brought against each other upon the movement of the relay each time that the circuit is broken, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a line having terminal and Way stations, a relay and a Morse key at cach station connected directly in the line, a battery from which impulses of current corresponding to the signals to be transmitted are thrown upon the line by any of said keys, a ground-connection,and linegrounding devices controlled by the relay at each station, said grounding devices consisting of earth and line connected contacts which are momentarily brought into contact upon the movement of the relay when the battery is disconnected from the line, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination,with a line, abattery at each end thereof, electro-magnetic receiving devices, and Morse keys connected directly in the line,of alternate contacts at each terminal station connected with the battery, intermediate contacts connected to earth, a trailer or contact-1naker actuated by the electroemagnetic receiving devices to pass from one batterycontact across an earth-contact to the next battery-coutact each time the circuit is opened at a key, a relay or electro magnetic receiving devices at one or more intermediate points, a branch ofthe line at each of said points running to a trailer or contact-maker actuated by the receiving devices, and an earth-connected contact over which said trailer is passed each time the circuit is opened, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a line having terminal and Way stations, a relay and a Morse key at each station connected directly in the line, a battery from which impulses of current corresponding to the signals to be transmitted may be thrown upon the line by any of said keys, line-grounding devices at each station, consisting of earth and line connected contacts which are momentarily brought into contact by the movement of the armature-lever of a sounder controlled by the relay when the circuit is opened, and a shunt around the relay, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of a line having terminal and intermediate or Way stations, message or signal transmitting devices located at one or more stations in the line, a. battery from which impulses ot' current are thrown upon the line for the sending of messages or signals by said transmitting devices, relays located at terminal and intermediate stations, a ground connection, and line-grounding devices actuated by a magnet in the local of each relay, said grounding devices consisting of earth and line contacts which are momentarily connected after the reception of an impulse or signal and when the transmitting-battery is disconnected from the line.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub scribed my name.

PATRCK BERNARD DELANY.

Vitnesses:

EDWARD C. DAVIDSON, LLOYD l Wrenn 

